


A New Direction

by threerings



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Character study of Caleb, M/M, Major Spoilers for the episode, Major character death - Freeform, Set during and immediately after episode 2x26, caleb pov, widomauk if you squint
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-13
Updated: 2018-07-13
Packaged: 2019-06-10 01:46:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 555
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15280878
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/threerings/pseuds/threerings
Summary: He wanted to run.  He wanted to murder them all, rain down fire and burn them all to ash.  Instead he stood in place in the bushes, frozen in place.Caleb deals with the events of the battle.





	A New Direction

**Author's Note:**

> I didn't want to write this, but I had to.

_This one, he’s like a walking rainbow… Why are you with him? It makes no sense. He’s a circus performer, he’s not going to help you._

He should have left. He should have run. He’d known these people would get him killed. If he’d only run when he’d had the chance he wouldn’t be watching his friend die at the hand of a tattooed monster of a man… His friend… His companion… The rainbow…

He wanted to run. He wanted to murder them all, rain down fire and burn them all to ash. Instead he stood in place in the bushes, frozen in place. He stood and watched as the barbarian approached, as Nott fled the conflict towards him, as the monster with the glaive brought the dwarf over. His muscles locked in terror, in helpless rage. He felt powerless, and that was the _last_ thing he should ever feel. He was a failure, unable even to kill a man like this. 

And then they left. Just walked away, taking the cages that might hold their friends, leaving the sprawled pile of color that was Mollymauk. His remaining companions stayed silent for a while, and then the chatter began. He couldn’t parse any of the words; it was just sound babbling in the back of his mind. He finally moved, walking slowly but steadily towards Mollymauk’s body. 

He needed to see...to check...to make sure. He stood over the colorful shape, more red now than purple...red matching his coat but in the wrong place. A gaping hole in his chest. Finally, Caleb crouched down and reached out a hand. He felt Molly’s cheek, letting his eyes shut as he felt the temperature: too cool. Down to his throat: no pulse. No breath. 

He stood.

He could have been standing over any number of bodies. Other people he’d murdered. His parents. Except he didn’t murder this one, he reminded himself. Did it matter, though? 

He thought of the infinite branching paths of fate he’d seen in the dodecahedron. The need to undo, the ability just out of his grasp. 

“Caleb? Caleb?” A hand shook his shoulder hard. He spun, a snarl on his lips which dropped as he saw who stood there: Beau, tears streaming down her face. “Are you...are you okay?” She looked lost and scared. He saw Nott standing several feet behind her, breathing heavily, eyes wide, flask clutched in her hand. 

He took a deep breath. “We’re going to undo this,” he said, voice steady and low. “I’m going to bring him back. I’ll need your help. Are you all in?” He stared at each of them in turn. Beau nodded immediately, and then Nott followed suit, after a moment of frowning. He turned to look at Keg, who was standing limply with her arms at her sides, across a long expanse of churned-up earth. She met his eyes and then shrugged helplessly. 

“Wh...whatever you want...I can’t...” she breathed shakily. He turned away. Good enough. He looked back to the body. 

This wouldn’t stand. Not this time. He would do whatever he had to. He couldn’t turn back time, couldn’t reshape reality, not yet. But he could change this. He would bring Mollymauk back, back from the grave a second time. He wouldn’t let Death win this one.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! I had this idea that Molly's death could actually be a really neat character catalyst for Caleb to shift from trying to distance himself from the group to taking responsibility and stepping up and being willing to lead them. So I'd really like to see this direction for the character, but of course, we'll see.
> 
> You can find me on [Tumblr,](http://gentlesociallypinned.tumblr.com) where I am freaking the HELL out right now.


End file.
